Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund telethon brought in nearly $9 million on Tuesday night (Dec. 13). The fundraiser was broadcast on GAC, AXS-TV, RFD, the Heartland Network and live streamed across a number of media sites, including Taste of Country, reaching millions of people.

According to a press release, the total money raised is expected to increase due to mail-in donations, which will be counted over the next few days.

“I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the people who have donated from all over the country and to my friends who donated their time, their talent, and money for My People,” Parton says in a release. “The response has been so overwhelming that we haven’t been able to count all of the donations yet; right now, in total, we have raised about $9 million dollars for the folks who lost everything in Sevier County.”